2016 Guests and Panelists

Benjamin Marra is the notorious, controversial and influential comic creator of the comic books NIGHT BUSINESS, GANGSTA RAP POSSE, THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION), LINCOLN WASHINGTON: FREE MAN!, BLADES & LAZERS and TERROR ASSAULTER: O.M.W.O.T. (One Man War On Terror). Marra has drawn comparisons to mainstream masters like Paul Gulacy and Jim Steranko, as well as underground comix legends like R. Crumb and Spain Rodriguez, and even the Beat writers. His clients include Playboy, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Vice, Nylon, The Criterion Collection, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, The Bavarian State Opera, Widen+Kennedy and McCann-Erickson. He’s been the interview subject of GQ, Vice and Obey. He’s contributed to the comic anthologies Strange Tales II, Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies, Smoke Signal and Rub The Blood. www.benjaminmarra.com

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Four time Eisner Award winner GENE HA is the artist of books like Fables, Justice League, Cyclops & Phoenix, and Oktane. His new creator owned book Mae tells the tale of Mae Fortell, who follows her sister Abbie to an alternate world full of mad science and wonder. The book met its Kickstarter goal in 36 hours and will be published by Dark Horse in 2016.

Dave Mercier is a cartoonist and Illustrator from Connecticut who lives on a farm and looks great in jorts. He’s in his fifth year creating MercWorks, a Super Mario/Happy Days crossover fan fiction comic. Just kidding, it’s about a guy who wears glasses.

Emily Carroll is a writer and artist best known for the eerie comics she posts on the internet, as well as her debut collection of short stories, Through the Woods (published by Margaret K. McElderry, 2014). In 2015 she won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist, as well as two Eisner awards, including Best Short Story for her online comic When the Darkness Presses. Most recently she illustrated Baba Yaga’s Assistant, a children’s graphic novel written by Marika McCoola (published by Candlewick Press, 2015).

She lives in Stratford, Ontario (that’s up in Canada) with her wife and two demanding cats. Many of her comics are available to read right now at emcarroll.com

C. Spike Trotman was born in DC, grew up in MD, and lives in IL. She runs Iron Circus Comics, Chicago’s largest comics publisher, and is responsible for Poorcraft, The Sleep of Reason, New World, and the Smut Peddler series, and the webcomic Templar, Arizona.

A Kickstarter early adopter, her projects have raised nearly half a million dollars in funding and earned multiple awards. Her achievements are just of few of many like it in the independent publishing world, a world reinvigorated by online comics, diversifying audiences, increased access and crowdfunding. In case you couldn’t tell, she’s a big fan of where things are going. She talks a lot, thinks a lot, means well, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Danielle Corsetto is the creator of Girls With Slingshots, a comedy/dramedy webcomic that ran from 2004-2015. She’s also written three Adventure Time OGNs for BOOM! and spent a year writing and drawing The New Adventures of Bat Boy for the Weekly World News. She lives in an old house in West Virginia with two cats and all of their fur.

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Matt Melvin is one of the original authors of Cyanide & Happiness and an avid cheeseburger aficionado. He currently writes the webcomic The Last Nerds on Earth (lastnerdsonearth.com, updates M-W-F). Matt enjoys criticizing and complaining about movies, listening to music and inventing obscure types of niche sexual acts.

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Sophie Goldstein is a 2013 graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies. In 2014 she won an Ignatz Award for her mini-comic, House of Women, Part I and her second book The Oven, released by AdHouse Books in April, won two Ignatz Awards in 2015 for Outstanding Comic and Outstanding Graphic Novel.

Her first book Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell, co-written with Jenn Jordan, was self-published in 2013 with funding from Kickstarter. Sophie has also illustrated a children’s book, Poopy Claws, written by Gene Ambaum.

Her work has appeared in various publications including Best American Comics 2013, Fable Comics, Highlights, The Pitchfork Review, Maple Key Comics, Sleep of Reason, Symbolia, and Irene 3. http://www.redinkradio.com

Carl Antonowicz is a 2011 alumnus of the Center for Cartoon Studies. Last year, he debuted his first self-published graphic novel, The Pestle, to a wholly unprepared and unsuspecting populace. This year, he brings more disease-based horror to the table with Until the Blood Runs Black, a novella set in the same universe as The Pestle during the Crusades.

He’s also a vocal performer, hosts the Pittsburgh branch of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, and has been known to make the odd observation on twitter under the handle @cantocomix. https://cantocomics.wordpress.com

Inés Estrada is a self taught illustrator, cartoonist, editor and designer from Mexico City living in Texas, USA. She self publishes most of her work and also distributes other fun stuff through her label Gatosaurio. Her first graphic novel, Lapsos, was published in Sweden in 2014 by C’est Bon Kultur.

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Emmy award winner Mark Kistler has taught millions around the world to draw in 3-D with his Public Television Series, books, and interactive LIVE webcasts at http://www.MarkKistler.com Join him for an inspiring FUNTASTIC interactive family ART ATTACK in his “IT ALL BEGINS WITH A DRAWING!” workshop!

Kory Bing is a cartoonist and illustrator from Portland, Oregon. She is the creator of the two-time Stumptown Comic Award-winning series, Skin Deep, creator of the Alice in Wonderland-themed card game, Borogove, and illustrator for Seanan McGuire’s InCryptid book series. When she is not drawing, Kory is usually reading about dead animals.patreon.com/korybing

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Jeanne Thornton is a writer and cartoonist currently living in New Orleans. She is the author of the books The Black Emerald and The Dream of Doctor Bantam, as well as copublisher of small press Instar Books and creator of the comics The Man Who Hates Fun and Bad Mother. Her work is somehow a valuable contribution to our world. More information at fictioncircus.com/Jeanne; Patreon page for monthly zine of Current Writing/Art at patreon.com/jwthornton.

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Isaiah Broussard is the creator and cartoonist of the webcomics Transyltown and Crackers & White Wine.When he isn’t geeking out about his favorite cartoons, comics, and games you’ll probably find him encouraging people to become more comfortable discussing diversity.www.brasscomics.com

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Shane Zackery is a super enthused member of the Creator Discovery team at Patreon. Shane spends an ungodly amount of free time playing Dragon Age, reading comics, and learning about whiskey! Pronouns: they/them.

Z. Bill Taylor created Bear Quest and other less popular works. He is forever trying to combine comics and video games into a super hybrid medium he’s thankfully decided not to call “Gomics.” largoinfinite.com

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Wayne Alan Brenner, a veritable god among men, could mop the floor with your ass, citizen – just like he did with Chuck Norris’s ass in that Lubbock dive bar on a cold winter’s day of decades past. So watch out! www.brnnr.net

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Paul Benjamin is a New York Times bestselling author who has written and produced comics and video games for diverse properties including many Marvel characters such as Hulk, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, as well as Star Wars, Star Trek, Starcraft, World of Warcraft, the Muppets, Monsters, Inc., G.I. Joe, and more. His first prose short story appeared in The Protectors anthology. His original manga series Pantheon High was a YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens nominee.